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Research Fellow in Virology / Gene Therapy Vectors

Employer
Global Academy Jobs
Location
United Kingdom
Closing date
Apr 16, 2018

Job Details

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge?

Do you have an established background in virology or biochemistry?

Do you want to further your career in one of the UKs leading research intensive Universities?

The current progress in gene addition technologies is starting to allow gene therapy to meet its long-recognised potential. Recombinant AAV is one of several viral vectors that has demonstrated promise with clinical trials for the treatment of neuro-degenerative diseases, arthritis and cystic fibrosis amongst others. This burgeoning success, however, is threatened by difficulties in scaling up production and maintenance of functional product during bio-processing. We have previously shown that extensional hydrodynamic fluid flow is highly damaging to antibody therapeutics (Dobson et al. (2017) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 114:4673-4678). As gene therapy vectors are larger, more complex heterogeneous bio-molecules relative to antibodies, hydrodynamic stresses applied during manufacture will be greater which may lead to loss of payload, loss of structural integrity of the capsid or wholesale aggregation, all of which may lead to reduced transfection efficiency and, therefore, efficacy.This BBSRC BioProNEt funded project is a collaboration between researchers in Leeds (Dr David Brockwell and Professor Sheena Radford (School of Molecular and Cellular Biology) and Prof Nik Kapur (School of Mechanical Engineering)) and Cobra Biologics. The aim of the project is to examine the effect of extensional hydrodynamic flow on the structure and function of well characterised model viruses together with adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy vectors obtained from our industrial collaborator. An understanding of how bioprocess flow parameters and manufacturing conditions affect the structure/function and transfection efficiency of gene therapy vehicles will allow the rational design of both robust gene therapy platforms and bio-processes.You should have a PhD (or be close to completion) in Virology, Biochemistry or closely allied disciplines. Experience in the handling and the structural and/or functional characterisation of viruses, virus-like particles is essential.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: Dr David Brockwell, Associate Professor Tel: +44 (0)113 343 7821, email: d.brockwell@leeds.ac.uk

 

 

 

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Global Academy Jobs works with over 250 universities worldwide to promote academic mobility and international research collaboration. Global problems need international solutions. Our jobs board and emails reach the academics and researchers who can help.

"The globalisation of higher education continues apace, driving in turn the ongoing development of the global knowledge economy, striving for solutions to the world’s problems and educating a next generation of leaders and contributors."

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